Kingdom of Gnester Review

By Andrew Nesvadba, on February 23, 2010

Publisher: Another Castle Studios inc.
Genre: Adventure
Released: 23 Dec, 2009
Size: 119.0 MB
Price: FREE!

PROS

Huge and amusing story mode.
Great hand-drawn art style.
Meshes three-match and platforming.

CONS

Interface is a bit sloppy.
High learning curve for those not immediately familiar with three-match games.

VERDICT

It's clear that the creators had a lot of fun designing Kingdom of Gnester and it shows while you're playing this great App.

Full Review
App Store Info

Bejeweled is without a doubt one of the most recognizable and widely accepted forms of digital catnip for the casual gamer. Kingdom of Gnester takes this basic form of three-match gameplay and combines it with an excellent platformer that's not only challenging but often full of irreverent humor to enjoy.

The titular Gnester is on a quest to forge his own kingdom and by playing a three-match game you give him the powers necessary to complete his journey. Matched gems fuel different abilities like jumping, invincibility, or even ducking, and need to be used to survive obstacles and collect golden gnomes which are used as the game's currency. The board is responsive and doesn't penalize non-matching moves, which is a godsend as you attempt to generate large bonuses to concentrate on the platforming.

There's a lot of adjustment required to balance gem-matching and platforming simultaneously, but it's also a great challenge that keeps each level exciting to play. The game's artwork is lovingly rendered with hand-drawn 2D sprites, but the text and numbers do look sloppy in this style. Upgrades to your abilities can be purchased and in game currency can even be purchased from the App Store or farmed while playing the arcade mode or Ranch mode which is very similar to Plants vs. Zombie's gardening mode.

With its rock solid gameplay and instant-play modes Kingdom of Gnester will keep you busy for weeks. If you're a casual gamer this is definitely a must try game.

Screenshots